The introduction of the e-challan system in Karachi represents a long-overdue attempt to break with business as usual in traffic governance. After decades of weak enforcement and habitual noncompliance, a measure of strictness is unavoidable.
However, enforcement cannot succeed on deterrence alone. The durability of any regulatory framework rests on its perceived fairness and consistency. When enforcement appears selective, even well-intentioned, reforms begin to lose their footing.
Currently, the burden of enforcement falls largely on private cars and motor-
cycles, while commercial and government vehicles often slip through the system. Smoke-belching buses, garbage trucks and dumpers over-speeding at night, and heavy vehicles occupying express lanes with little consequence send a damaging signal. When such violations are allowed to pass under the radar, public trust erodes and compliance becomes an uphill battle.
Public transport exposes even deeper cracks in the system. Minibus drivers operating without seatbelts, speeding buses, and the recent detection of an underage bus driver, point to systemic failures in licensing, verification and training. These incidents are not isolated bad apples; they are symptoms of a regulatory framework that has long been asleep at the wheel.
Motorcycles add another layer of concern as many of them happen to be without rear-view mirrors and functional tail lights. Ignoring these basic safety requirements while penalising other infractions puts the cart before the horse.
Ultimately, the debate is not about whether or not strictness is needed. In societies marked by prolonged regulatory decay, it clearly is needed. The real test lies in whether that strictness is applied across the board and in the right order.
INDER KISHAN
HYDERABAD
